A L E S SA N D R O SA RTO R I LEICA WORLD
In the course of the collaboration between Ermenegildo Zegna and Leica Camera, the Italian fashion giant’s artistic director spoke with us about joint projects, the inspiration behind his designs, and his long-standing passion for photography.
Ermenegildo Zegna and Leica Camera have a lot in common: just like the Wetzlar-based optics specialist, the Italian fashion house for luxury menswear is a family business with a more than 100-year history of highquality products. The companies share a commitment to sustainability and local networks – and both were founded by visionary entrepreneurs who were far ahead of their time. So it was almost inevitable that the two brands would enter into a creative dialogue. Zegna’s 110th anniversary presented a perfect opportunity to embark on a multi-faceted partnership. Last January, four Leica photographers explored the theme of modern-day masculinity from a female perspective, as they accompanied the runway shows 84 |
LFI
for Zegna’s fall/winter 2020 collection. A further three Leica photographers have been chosen to go behind the scenes of the label’s spring/ summer 2021 show. The partnership has also resulted in a range of camera bags and accessories designed by Zegna’s artistic director, Alessandro Sartori, which will soon be available in Leica and Zegna Stores worldwide. LFI: Mr. Sartori, you are a successful fashion designer, but you also have a great passion for photography. How did you develop an interest for this medium? Alessandro Sartori: My adventure with photography began when I was a little boy. I loved looking at black and white family photos, and found it exciting to try and fathom the emotions
of the people portrayed in these images. I was fascinated by the thought of who this people might have been. What did they do? Was this person a baker, a labourer, a teacher, a designer? Was it coincidence that this particular person ended up in this picture, or was there more to it? Those were the kinds of questions that captured my imagination. By immersing myself in such details, I was gradually able to unravel the emotions behind these photos. LFI: Can you think of an especially memorable experience that has stayed with you? Alessandro Sartori: I do remember my first meaningful encounter with photography. It was in the early days of vintage markets, I must have been around ten
or twelve. My father had taken me to Pavia, and there were vendors selling old photographs. I remember we bought an entire stack. They were, of course, photographs of families I didn’t know. I spent hours studying them, one by one, with full concentration. LFI: How did your photographic journey unfold after that? Alessandro Sartori: When I was a bit older, I discovered the work of Irving Penn and a young Stanley Kubrick, who was a photographer before he became a director. His subjects were boxers, street fighters, funfair travellers and circus artistes – obscure oddballs with an often unusual appearance. They weren’t perfect. They fitted the requirements of their professions, but →
